Electrothermal means for producing mechanical movement.



A. A. LOW, M. J. WOHL dz H. HERTZBERG. v ELEGTBOTHEBMAL MEANS FORPRODUCING MECHANICAL MOVEMENT.

nrmcyrmn FILED APR. 21, 1908.

954,682, Patented Apr. 12, 1910.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

manor A. LOW, or HORSESHQE, AND MAURICE J. worn. AND HARRY HERTZIBERG,0E N W roan, N. Y., ASSIGNORS TO sun ABBO'I A. LOW, or HORSESHOE, NEWYORK, sun MAUBICEJ. WOHL AND sun HARRY HEErzEEEG, or NEW YoEx, N. Y.,

'rnusrEEs.

ELECTBOTHERMAL MEANS FOR PRODUCING MECHANICAL MOVEMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Apr. 12, 1910- Applicationfiled April 21, 1908. Serial No. 428,384.

To all whom "it may concern:

Be it known that we, ABBo'r A. Low, MAURICE J. WoHL, and HARRYHERTzBERc, citizens of the United States, and residents, respectively,of Horseshoe, county of St. Lawrence, and State of New York, and of thecity of New York, borough of Manhat tan,.county'ai1d State of New York,and of the city of New York, borough of Brooklyn,

county of Kings, and State of New York, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Electrothermal Means for Producing MechanicalMovement, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to electrothermal means for producing mechanicalmovement, the object being to provide a device in which the thermalaction of an electric current is utilized to cause one member to expandwhile at the same time a similar member is cooling and contracting thusproducing a movement in one direction which may be reversed by cuttingoff the current from the first thermal member and connect ing the seco dmember in circuit. The expansion an contraction ofthese thermal membersare utilized by means of suitable mechanical connections to producemechanical movement of another member.

The object sought tofbe attained is to provide a simple mechanismior thepurpose above described which may be utilized for various purposes suchas operating a direct switch, operating the steering mechanism of aboat, operating the semaphore of a block system as well as many otheruses and purposes which will be obvious.

In the drawings accompanying this speci .fication we have shown a simpleembodiment of our invention to illustrate the several features thereof.-A part of the view as shown is diagrammatic and the mechanical featuresare illustrated by simple means and mechanism which w1ll of course, bechanged in design to adapt the device for various uses;

AL movable member or arm 1 may be pivotally mounted at 2 to a suitablesupport frame 3, which may be provided at either end with uprights 4 and5 in which are, carried adjusting screws 6 .and 7 to which are attachedcoil springs 8 and 9 respectively. To the opposite ends of these springs8 and 9 are attached the supports 10 and 11.

ports 10 and 12 and 11 and 12, respectively.-

These thermal members are preferably in the form of wires stretched backand forth between the supports as shown, but insulated therefrom andprovided with suitable con: nections at either end providing means forpassing an electric current therethrough.

A suitable source of. current supply is indicated at 16 from whichconnection is made by means of the leads l7 and 18 to one end of thethermal member 14 and'through leads 17 and 19 to one end of the thermalmember 15. From the opposite end of the thermal member 14 is a lead 20to an indicator or light 21 and from thence through a lead 22 to asecond indicator or light 23, switch 24 and lead 25, connection beingmade to the source of current supply 16. From the opposite end of thethermal member 15 is a lead 26 to an indicator or light 27 and fromthence by means of lead 28 to an indicator or light 29 connection may bemade through the switch 24 and lead 25 to the source of current 16.

In the position as shown in the drawing, the current flows from thecurrent supply 16 through the leads 17 and 18 to the thermal member 14through the lead 20, to the indicator or light 21, lead 22, indicator orlight 23, switch 24, lead 25 causing the thermal member 14 to expand.

As no current is flowing in the thermal member 15, the expansion of thethermal member 14 allows the support 12 to be moved to the right by thespring 9. The springs 8 and 9 are adjusted by means of the adjustingscrews 6 and 7 so that when no current flows in the thermal members 14and 15 the parts are held in their central position but when the currentflows through one of the thermal members as just described the springstake up the expansion and cause ating means of the "switch 24.

the lever 1 to move to the right. If the switch 24 now be moved to theright either. by hand or by an other suitable marg n will be seen that te current will be cut out of the thermal member 14 and will then flowthrough leads 17 and 19 to the thermal mem-' ber 15, through the lead 25to the indicator or light 27, through the lead 28 to the indicator orlight 29, switch 24, lead 25 to the source of supply16. The currentflowing in the thermal member 15 causes the same to expand and currentbeing cut out from the thermal member 14 allows the same to contract atthe same tifne that the thermal member 15 is expanding and the support12 is moved to the left causing acorresponding movement of the leverarm 1. The expansion of the thermal member 15 and the contraction of thethermal member 14: should be equal in amount, and, consequently, thelever arm 1 will be moved to an amount equal to this expansion orcontraction. Any difierence in the amount between the two thermalmembers will be taken up by the springs S and 9. This operation may nowbe reversed and operated as often as desired, thus producing areciprocal movement of the lever arm 1 and should it be desired toretain the lever ineither position it is only necessary to lift a switchin the position corresponding to the movement when.the lever will beheld by the action of the thermal member.

' It will be noted that the amount of movement may be controlled by theamount of current flowing and that the movement may be made continuousby the automatic oper- The purpose of the indicating lights 21, 23, 27and 29 is to indicate at any desired number of points the direction ofmovement of the mechanism. V

As many changes could be 'made in the above construction and manyapparently widely different embodiments of our inventionidesignedwithout. departing from the scope thereof, we intend that all mattercontained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawingsshall be inter-' preted as illustrative merely of an operativeembodiment of our invention and not in a limiting sense.

What we claim is: 1. In a device of thecharacter described, incombination, a pair of thermally expansible wires stretched betweensupports and arranged to pull in opposite dlrections, said. supportscomprising a central support to which both of said wires are attachedand to which a reciprocating movement is imparted by the alternateexpansion and contraction of said wires, supports at the opposite endsof said wires, resilient members holding said last named supports andwires in position, and means for alternately heating said wires.

2. In a device of the character described, in combination, a pair ofthermally expansible conductors stretched between supports and arrangedto pull in opposite directions, said supports comprising a centralsupport to which both of said conductors are attached and to which areciprocating movement is imparted by the alternate expansion andcontraction of said conductors, supports at the opposite ends of saidconductors, re-v silient members holding said last named supports andconductors in position, and means for passin a heating currentalternately through said conductors.

3. In a device of the character described, in combination, a pair ofthermally expansible wires stretched between supports and arranged topull in opposite directions, said supports comprising a central supportto which both of said wires are attached and to which a reciprocatingmovement is imparted by the alternate expansion and contraction of saidwires, supports at the opposite ends of said wires, adjustable resilientmembers holding said last named supports and Wires in position, andmeans for alternately heating said wires.

4. In a device of the character described, in combination, a pair ofthermally expansible wires each stretched back and forth several timesbetween supports and arranged to pull in opposite directions, saidsupports comprising a central support to which both county of Kings andState of New York,

this 17th day of April, 1908.

ABBOT A. LOW. MAURICE J. WOHL. HARRY HERTZBERG.

Witnesses:

Louis A. JEPPfi, GEo.',,WELLING GIDDIN cs.

